114. Glassworks

In the mid-20th century, Western music may have reached the highest possible level of complexity (later, representatives of the so-called “New Complexity” movement attempted to push the boundaries even further, composing works that were, by design, unperformable in their written form…). The time had come for a reaction. One new direction was simplification – the American minimalists took the stage, among them Philip Glass, who quickly became one of the most sought-after composers. Their music brought back pleasant-sounding triads and short, often catchy motifs, while a new feature was the very slow development of form, often through the introduction of barely perceptible changes. The result is trance-like or contemplative pieces – the minimalists drew inspiration from Far Eastern philosophical concepts. Such is the case, for example, with the opening movement of the Glassworks cycle – looped and reflective (yet shorter and more accessible than the artist’s earlier works). In it, Glass demonstrated his interest in technology, preparing a special mix on cassette tapes intended for listening on the go, thanks to the widespread adoption of Walkmans. The American artist is at home in many different genres and has found success in all those he has tried: from avant-garde music – a good example of which is the plotless opera Einstein on the Beach – to film scores, including those for such cinematic classics as The Hours and The Truman Show.

– Dominika Micał (pisanezesluchu.pl)